Is it ok to ask rhetorical questions on Fluther?

I don’t see why not although depending on what you’re asking it might be better to post it in social but other than that go for it. Questions that provoke discussion are what this site is good at (in my humble opinion).

You can also ask silly, rather misleading and creatively worded questions, like ” Why has my flap stopped flapping” ? This was in relation to my gas flap ceasing to open when the button is pushed. haha Yes, I’d recommend the “Social” section for any humorously worded or rhetorical questions. Much more wiggle room there and space to explore and expand.

[Mod says] If your question is not genuine, it may get removed. Check out the guidelines here.

^^^ What if the question’s genuinely funny or rhetorical? And, no, I’m not being rhetorical; I’d really like to know.

It’s my understanding that the question can be rhetorical but remember, it does have to be in the form of a question.

Take a look at what kinds of questions are already posted here and are well received, with lots of comments. For instance, someone may ask what people think about an event or a social issue and then post a link to an article.

As always in a new environment, it’s a good idea to just observe for a little while and get a feel for the culture of the place.

@Love_my_doggie Oh, there are so many factors this would depend on: Is the question in Social? Is it likely to be well-received by the community, or will it cause trouble? Does the OP have a history of asking questions which are not genuine? Has the question been answered? Is the thread’s tone that which we are looking for?

It’s not cut-and-dry, but I think long-term members will usually be fine trusting their instincts. New users can simply test the system – at the very worst, they’ll get modded.

@olivier5: What were you thinking of?

@jca As i said in the OP, one might wish to share some news—eg some scientific discovery—just because one finds it interesting. If Fluther is only meant to be a Q&A site, this would not be appropriate. So one may choose to phrase it as an artificial or rhetorical question, eg “Have you seen this fantastic article on the large hardon collider?”

@olivier5 Yup – that’s what you would do. Or, it might provoke a better discussion if you asked, “What do you think about the latest news about the large hadron collider?” and then linked to the article.

People do ask questions such as “Have you seen this movie?” or “Have you been to Hawaii?”

@jca @janbb @jeruba Well yes, it does seem that jellies do ask rhetorical questions often. So shall I from time to time.

If I shared an article on nuclear physics, i would not necessarily expect a thoughtful discussion about it here, simply because there might not be many jellies qualified to discuss it thoughtfully. I certainly wouldn’t feel qualified to start poking holes into it. But i might find it awesome or simply interesting enough to share.

Rhetorical implies a predetermined answer. In a debate forum it would serve little purpose other than seeing what you and other flutherites have in common. I recently asked which liquor people here liked. The question had no wrong answer. I gave GA to all responses.
It depends upon your desired expectations when phrasing the question I suppose.
IMO, it seems it’s ok to post almost any questions here. You may get no response. The mediators could, I assume remove a question deemed inappropriate.
Otherwise, ask away. This site optimizes free thinking, and provides open forum for a wide, polarizing spectrum of debate.
Come on in. The waters fine.

Who needs rhetorical questions?

I came here from the forum @olivier5 references in his opening post. Learning to phrase thread titles as questions has been an adjustment. Worth it, I think, but definitely an adjustment.

Ciao @BellaB. I don’t think we met but glad to know i’m not alone having had to adjust. :-)

@olivier5 You can totally write questions based upon articles or theories or movies you have seen or books you have read or food you have tried.

You can word them something like this, “What is your opinion of blah, blah, blah theory?” or “Have you seen this article (then add a link to the actual article)? What is your take on it?” or “Do you think this idea is worth pursuing?” Then give some details about the idea, or an actual link to something you read about the idea in the details section of your question.

@Kardamom Sounds good, thanks.

After all, this is a place of exchange, not a collection of people harranging the crowd on their soapboxes, so the question format is entirely natural.